Alai says he has ‘withdrawn support’ for Uhuru but Kenyans think he’s been dumped
Controversial blogger Robert Alai seems to have bitterly fallen out with the Jubilee administration, a move that has not only left him ranting on Twitter, but also threatening to return the Head of State Commendation award that he received last year.
“I cannot support the (Jubilee) government anymore,” Alai, who has enjoyed a bitter-sweet relationship with the ruling elite declared on Twitter on Friday.
He clarified this move had been forced by the government’s move to relax the high tax rates imposed in gambling firms.
I can’t support the government any more. You can’t lower taxation on betting / GAMING. From today, I have completely withdrawn my support for President Uhuru and his government. We are killing the youth of this country through this uncontrolled betting craze.
— Robert ALAI (@RobertAlai) April 20, 2018
And then came the shocking announcement.
With reduction of tax on betting, I will gladly return the HSC award. You can’t kill a generation with betting which you are not willing to regulate. @UKenyatta you should be ashamed to allow this to happen. You are killing young people with this betting craze. pic.twitter.com/nE1bSrzBFu
— Robert ALAI (@RobertAlai) April 20, 2018
Interestingly, not many of those who commented on these announcement sympathized with Alai.
A chunk of them suggested that it is infact the government that had dumped Alai and he was, thus, but only venting his frustrations.
Others were of the view that Alai had been rendered irrelevant by the recent truce reached by President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Inconsequential
— Angwenyi Gichana (@Agichana) April 21, 2018
Cheque has been withdrawn.
— Kipruto Chirchir (@k_ipruto) April 20, 2018
I support you I have also withdrew my support
— Mananga Junior Earnest (@ManangaJunior1) April 20, 2018
Who else has noticed that Alai has become irrelevant after the handshake…..just check his tweets….they don’t go more than 20 retweets…..am even doing better
— Arap Njoroge (@njoroge_muindi) April 20, 2018
A one time staunch defender of Mr Odinga, until his surprise shift of allegiance in the run up to the 2017 general elections, Alai has built his brand on social media over the past half a decade or so, specifically for releasing damning dossiers on corruption and other subjects of public interest.
His online job description has earned him friends and enemies in equal measure. He has also been arrested on numerous occasions.